Science Grants

69A355 Research and Technology

he U.S. Department of Transportation s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) is announcing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Tribal Transportation Safety Strategy Pilot Program. This three-year cooperative agreement is designed to address the critical public safety crisis in Tribal communities, as American Indian and Alaska Native populations experience traffic fatality rates more than twice the national average.The primary objective of this program is to research, identify innovations, and develop a next-generation Tribal Transportation Strategic Safety Plan. The selected applicant will develop a comprehensive toolbox of training, analysis tools specifically geared toward decision making when historical crash data is not readily available, and risk-based safety planning guidelines. The project will culminate in a pilot program with at least one Federally recognized Tribal community that has a high traffic fatality rate, and will include the implementation of a temporary, low-cost safety infrastructure demonstration project.

National Institute of Justice

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 State and Local Collection and Reporting of Crime Data program. This opportunity seeks proposals for rigorous research that examines the accuracy of crime data collection and reporting practices across state and local jurisdictions. The goal is to identify common challenges and develop scalable and widely adoptable best practices to improve data quality and integrity. Of particular interest are studies that examine how agencies collect information regarding offenses to ensure fidelity between reported data and actual events and to strengthen broader data governance practices.

69A355 Research and Technology

The U.S. Department of Transportation s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) is announcing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Interdisciplinary Transportation Law and Policy Technology Training Development program. This 24-month cooperative agreement aims to bridge the critical knowledge gap between fast-changing transportation technologies and our Nation's policymakers, lawmakers, and legal counsel.The primary objective of this program is to research, prioritize, and provide instructional materials on rapidly developing transportation technologies, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), automated vehicles (AV), and the digital infrastructure supporting automation. The selected applicant will be responsible for developing three distinct educational tools: a one-day training course for congressional and support staff, a one-hour Executive Briefing for busy elected leaders and policymakers, and a full-semester curriculum for law students planning to work in transportation policy. The project will culminate in regional pilot training sessions and the transfer of materials for future use.

Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in processing and analyzing of data from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission. The project will advance hydrologic decision making from remotely sensed water surface elevation by making available water surface elevation data at unprecedented scales. Research Scientists in the Observing Systems Division have a wealth of knowledge specific to an ongoing study to process and analyze SWOT data for hydrological applications. This research will advance understanding through detailed assessments of SWOT data accuracy and the production of low-latency water resource monitoring data streams.This project creates a significant partnership between USGS and CESU researchers to address questions of mutual interest, such as (1) extracting water surface elevations from SWOT pixel cloud data and (2) automating the publication of water surface elevation for all resolvable waterbodies across the United States. These objectives are of considerable interest to scientists and resource managers for effective management and monitoring of water resources at the national, regional, and local scale. This project will provide opportunities to develop and expand current expertise, share expertise with federal scientists, and enhance the ability of all federal and academic partners to focus research on questions related to critical resource management decisions.This project will support the protection of life and safety by expanding the water resource monitoring network from a few thousand discrete locations to more than 1 million locations.As water resources are critical to harvest, extract, and process critical minerals and energy resources, this work aligns with:EO 14156 Declaring a National Energy Emergency (January 20, 2025)SO 3417 Addressing the National Energy Emergency (February 3, 2025)EO 14154 Unleashing American Energy (January 20, 2025)SO 3418 Unleashing American Energy (February 3, 2025)EO 14153 Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential (January 20, 2025)SO 3422 Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential (February 3, 2025)By focusing on robust uncertainty metrics in remotely sensed water surface elevation, while leveraging AI/ML capabilities, this work aligns with:EO 14303 Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025)SO 3441 - Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025)WH Strategy America's AI Action Plan, July, 2025SO 3444 Leading Interior's Path to Artificial Intelligence Transformation (September 17, 2025)Further, by using a fixed cost approach with written justification and senior approval the NOFO aligns with:EO 14402, Promoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting (April 30, 2025)Finally, mapping water resources supports:SO 3447 Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Depart of the Interior Lands and Waters, (January 7, 2026)SO 3442 Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation by the U.S. Department of the Interior (September 4, 2025)

Office of Naval Research

The purpose of the GlobalX Innovation Challenge is to accelerate the traditional knowledge generation cycle, rapidly testing applied research theories to enable the discovery of revolutionary dual-use capabilities for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the commercial marketplace, and the public. Led by the Office of Naval Research Global and targeted at researchers in the Indian subcontinent, this challenge addresses a joint Naval need and seeks to deliver outcomes of value to both the U.S. and India. The expected results are promising, potentially game-changing applied concepts whose maturity may be further advanced through separate follow-on technology development efforts.

Office of Naval Research

This purpose of the GlobalX Challenge is to accelerate the traditional knowledge generation cycle, proving or disproving an applied research theory on an advanced timeline, leading to the discovery of revolutionary dual-use capability for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the commercial marketplace, and the public. The expected outcomes of this Challenge are promising, potentially game-changing, applied concepts whose maturity may be accelerated under separate follow-on technology development efforts.

Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road / DOE-affiliated)

Two-year fellowship for scientists and engineers to advance breakthrough energy and climate technologies. Provides $100K+ stipend, lab access, and mentorship.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Selects and supports outstanding biomedical researchers as HHMI Investigators with long-term funding to pursue transformative research at their home institutions.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) program supports the translation of open-source science and engineering-focused research products into safe and sustainable ecosystems that address national and societal challenges. Open-source tools such as software, hardware, machine learning models, languages, and data platforms are designed to be shared as they are publicly-accessible and modifiable. These tools spark innovation in critical fields as varied as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, banking, healthcare, research, education, next-gen manufacturing, mobility, and National security (including cybersecurity). PESOSE supports the creation of managing organizations for these ecosystems, ensuring strong governance, distributed development, and broad user communities across academia, industry, and government. PESOSE also supports enhancements to the safety, security, and privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems (OSE) by addressing significant vulnerabilities, both technical and socio-technical, to improve the resistance of the ecosystem against threats. This solicitation seeks three types of proposals, allowing teams to propose specific activities to:1) scope and planthe establishment of an OSE, 2)establishand expand a sustainable OSE based on a robust, promising open-source product that meets an emergent societal or national need, and 3) improve the safety, security, and privacy of an existing OSE and its products.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to federally recognized1 Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote high quality science (including sociology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, economics and bioeconomics, statistics, and other social and behavioral sciences; natural sciences; computer science, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and cybersecurity), technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), STEM education, research, and outreach. Support is available to TCUP-eligible institutions (see the Additional Eligibility subsection of Section IV of this solicitation) for transformative capacity-building or community engagement projects through Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI), Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP),TCUP for Secondary and Elementary Teachers in STEM (TSETS), TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers), Cyberinfrastructure Health, Assistance, and Improvements (CHAI), and Preparing for TCUP Implementation (Pre-TI). Collaborations led by TCUP institutions that involve non-TCUP institutions of higher education are supported through TCUP Partnerships, with the participation of other NSF programs to support the work of non-TCUP institutions. Finally, research studies that further the scholarly activity of individual faculty members are supported through Small Grants for Research (SGR). Through the opportunities highlighted above, as well as collaborations with other National Science Foundation (NSF) divisions and directorates, and other organizations,TCUPaims toincrease Native individuals' participation in STEM careers, improve the quality of STEM programs atTCUP-eligible institutions, and facilitate the development of a strong STEM enterprise in TCUP institutions' service areas. TCUP supports transformative capacity-building, community engagement, or research projects at TCUP-eligible institutions through the following funding tracks: Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI) projects provide support to design, implement, and assess comprehensive institutional improvements in STEM education and research capacity at TCUP-eligible institutions of higher education. By strengthening STEM education and STEM education research, successful projects will increase the number of STEM students and improve the quality of their preparation. ICE-TI projects create and/or adapt and assess innovative models and materials for teaching and learning in STEM, embody knowledge about how students learn most effectively in STEM teaching and learning activities, and bring STEM disciplinary advances into the undergraduate or graduate experience. The objective of this strand is to expand STEM degrees offered by TCUP-eligible institutions or significantly enhance instructional approaches. Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP) support the attainment of a short-term, well-defined goal to improve the quality of STEM education at an eligible institution. Targeted STEM Infusion Projects could, for example, enhance academic infrastructure by systematically adding traditional knowledge to the scope or content of a STEM course, updating curricula, modernizing laboratory research equipment, developing and delivering professional development for K-12 STEM educators, or improving the computational infrastructure.The objective of this strand is to expand STEM degrees or significantly enhance instructional approaches. TCUP for Secondary & Elementary Teachers in STEM (TSETS) supports in-service professional development in STEM disciplinary or STEM education content and/or research for K-12 STEM teachers in the relevant service area. Examples of project activities include, but are not limited to, professional development involving seminar series and engagement in STEM instruction and content during the academic year, structured series of summer intensive workshops and trainings, and summer research opportunities. The objective of this strand is to broaden the instructional capacity for STEM in the K-12 workforce and thereby to the entire community, and to build the capacity for STEM disciplinary or education research among participating educational professionals. TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers) coalesce the STEM and/or STEM education expertise into a team, designed to support and promote the STEM goals, needs, aspirations, or interests of the chartering reservation or tribe(s). TEA Centers may address a critical tribal or community need or focus on a realm of research or design that is beyond the scope of individual research grants or that is of interest to multiple tribes. The objective of this strand is to build on the capacity developed through prior TCUP support and apply expertise to collaborations with communities in the institution s service area, or nationally. The Cyberinfrastructure Health, Assistance, and Improvements (CHAI) strand supports projects at TCUP-eligible institutions of higher education to upgrade the cyberinfrastructure necessary to conduct, expand, manage and administer STEM programs of study, including research. The objective of this strand is to equip TCUP institutions to meet the demands of virtual instruction, advanced computing, and data science opportunities. Preparing for TCUP Implementation (Pre-TI) provides support for activities that prepare an institution for Implementation-level projects.Consequently, they are available only to TCUP-eligible institutions of higher education that have never received TCUP support, have not received TCUP support within the previous five years, or are embarking on a significantly novel STEM strategic plan. Examples of supported activities include completing an institutional assessment of its current STEM instructional capacity, or engaging in conversations necessary to formulate a shared vision of what that capacity should be and how to achieve it. Pre-TI awards can support staff and faculty release time, travel, stakeholder gatherings, and associated administrative costs.The objective of this strand is to conduct self-studies and formulate strategic plans for the development of STEM instructional programs of study. The TCUP Partnerships strand provides support for collaborations that will improve TCUP institutions' instructional and research capacity in STEM fields supported by NSF; attract, retain, and support TCUP students in internships and research endeavors deemed to be necessary for a complete curriculum offering; and engage partner universities to provide an academic grounding and a successful transition for students who wish to study or attain degrees in STEM fields supported by NSF. TCUP Partnerships broaden the number of scientific disciplines available to students at TCUP institution through collaborations with non-TCUP institutions. Active Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives or Partnerships in Geoscience Education awards are not affected by this revision. The objective of this strand is the development, through instructional and research capacity-building, of academic and career pathways for TCUP students through supporting collaborative projects between and among TCUP and non-TCUP institutions. Interested teams of collaborators for which a TCUP institution serves as lead should contact the TCUP program directors. Support for non-TCUP partners must be obtained from other NSF programs, which follows the procedures of the prior Partnership strands. Small Grants for Research (SGR) strand support STEM or STEM Education faculty members at TCUP-eligible institutions to initiate or pursue research projects or programs that may include undergraduate or graduate student engagement. Awards are intended to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness; improve research and teaching at his or her home institution and create and study new models and innovations in STEM teaching and learning. International research or collaborations are strongly encouraged. TCUP students may seek support for international research opportunities under the guidance of a TCUP STEM or STEM education faculty member and an international research collaborator. These awards are particularly appropriate as a means of recruiting and retaining highly qualified scientists, engineers, and educators at TCUP-eligible institutions. The objective of this strand is to support faculty research and professional development that build research capacity at TCUP institutions. [1] Executive Order 13021 defines Tribal Colleges and Universities ("tribal colleges") as those institutions cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), and other institutions that qualify for funding under the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978, (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), as well as Navajo Community College as authorized in the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-471, Title II (25 U.S.C. 640a note). The term "Alaska Native-serving institution" means an institution of higher education that is an eligible institution under section 1058(b) of the Higher Education Act; and that, at the time of submission, has an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 20 percent Alaska Native students. The term "Native Hawaiian-serving institution" means an institution of higher education that is an eligible institution under section 1058(b) of the Higher Education Act; and that, at the time of submission, has an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian students. Most TCUP-eligible institutions of higher education are two-year or community colleges. See the Who May Submit Proposals section in this solicitation for further details.